


Silent are the Stars

by Coal_burningbright



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: :/, AU, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Amputee Bucky Barnes, Angst, BAMF Natasha Romanov, Bucky Barnes Feels, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Clint Barton Feels, F/F, F/M, Featuring a miscommunication in the first 1500 words, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Les Mis AU, M/M, Miscommunication, More tags to be added, Multi, No beta we die like people who need betas please help, Slow Burn, all of their superhero names are codenames now, but only in that I listened to it so much while writing this that this picked up on it, dystopian au, that means Clint and Bucky don’t even think about dating for another 15 thousand, unfortunetly it might be better than now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:40:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26466559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coal_burningbright/pseuds/Coal_burningbright
Summary: Bucky and Clint are both people fighting against the ‘verment. Society fell a while ago and they are a few of the brave ones trying to do something.When Bucky flees from the scene of a crime in a car Clint was stealing they meet. Soon Bucky learns Clint is the notorious Hawkeye and his team is the one that Bucky (aka the winter soldier) ‘s team has been meaning to meet up with.Featuring a miscommunication  in the first 1500 words that will mean the two don’t get together for another 15,000
Relationships: I'll decide more later?, James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	1. It is time for us all

**Author's Note:**

> This will probably be longer than I thought lol, it will also be at the very least slightly angsty. you have been warned

Clinton F. Barton had been minding his own business hotwiring a car when he heard sirens. So it was going to be one of _those_ days. Then, a ( ~~hot~~ ) man jumped into the passenger seat and shouted “Go, go.” 

The first words of the man Bucky had just made be his getaway driver were “If they stop us I’m saying this is your car.” 

“What?” 

“If the police stop us, this is your car, and you made me drive it.”

“Did you steal this car? Wait, did I commandeer a stolen car as my getaway?” 

“It’s not a stolen car. Wait, you’re getting away from something?”

“Just drive.” Bucky tried to think this through. 

A few minutes later they were going 80 on the freeway, and Bucky realized he hadn’t actually told this guy where they were going. 

“Where are you driving us?”

Clint had been on autopilot, which was weird because a guy had just demanded he drive him away from what Clint was pretty sure was about to be a crime scene. Then again most places Clint drove away from were about to be a crime scene.

“I was going to my building.”

If this man had a building he might be more dangerous than Bucky originally thought, people who owned _houses_ probably worked for the ‘verment let alone buildings. Was he about to be Taken? But no, why would this guy have said ‘tell them this is your car’? There were too many questions to answer right now and if worse came to worst he’d been caught before. _It hadn’t been pleasant though_.

What the fuck was he doing? Clint was taking a guy who was probably a murderer or something back to the nest? Nat was going to be _pissed_.

Bucky was pretty sure he was about to be murdered. 

***

“You’re going to have to sit through some questions before we trust you” Clint said, blindfolding Bucky. 

He marched him into the ‘Interrogation room’ of the nest which really was just a lie detector, a chair, and Nat. He had been right about her being pissed, she didn't say anything to him as he led Hot Guy into the room. 

Bucky blinked as the blindfold came off. A quick glance around the room revealed that this was not a holding facility, at least, not any place like he’d heard of. The room looked run down and slightly dusty. The most intimidating thing in it was the redhead glaring at him. She was maybe 5’5 but he had no doubt she could kill him faster than he could blink. 

“Tell us who you are and who you work for and maybe I won’t kill you.” 

Bucky thought fast, “I’m a member of the Patriots, they call me the Winter Soldier.”

 _Great_ , just _great_. Natasha might have been the name that would come up if you asked people who was most feared assassin working against the ‘verment, but The Winter Soldier was the one they would think of next. 

“Prove it.”

“Before I commandeered your friend’s car I had just blown up the explosives room in the Station.”

“I’ll have to check that detail.” Natasha said, starting to leave the room. “If it’s true I’ll tell you who I am.” 

In a moment she was back. “Okay, I like you significantly more now than I did five minutes ago and I no longer want to kill Clunt. I’m The Black Widow, welcome to the nest.” The grin she gave him was mostly teeth but he was glad not to be losing another arm. Also now he knew the guy was named Clunt, or at least that was his codename. Bucky had never heard of a ‘Clunt’ but he might stick to the shadows more. Also, _the nest_ ? The home of the famed ‘Hawkeye’ who seemed to be able to be in many places at once, and the rest of his team? Bucky was in _deep_. 

“I’m honored to meet you.”

“You should be.” The Black Widow motioned for him to follow her out of the little dusty room, and into a little dusty hallway. They walked for a minute in silence before entering a large (still slightly dusty) room. Clunt was in a discussion with a girl almost a foot shorter than him, he looked to be losing whatever argument they were having though. At a table two people in tactical suits were playing what looked to be checkers with less rules with a teenager. 

“Everyone, this is The Winter Soldier. WInter Soldier, everyone.” Black Widow announced. Bucky made a note to try and get her real name because that was a lot to think, he was sure if he had to keep typing out these codenames it would take forever as well. 

“You can call me Bucky, everyone does.” He had stopped going by James years ago, even before everything fell. It was Steve’s nickname for him- oh god. Steve was probably worried out of his mind. “I already know Clunt but who are all of you?” Everyone stared at him for a minute until Clunt broke the silence. 

“Fuck you Natasha, my name is _Clint_.” He crossed his arms and, well the best way Bucky could describe it was he pouted. 

So The Black Widow was Natasha? Bucky wasn’t sure if he should actually trust _anything_ anyone said.

“I’m Scott!” That was the person in the red suit. “You might know me as Antman! And this is-” He was cut off by a punch to the arm from the woman next to him. 

“I am so sorry about him, we haven’t found a successful way to make him shut up yet.” 

“Hey! At least I don’t talk like Luis or something.” He protested, it was obvious that this was an argument they had had a million times before. 

“I’m Cassie, I get to help on missions sometimes so I also go by Stinger.”

Bucky took a double take, how old were the people who worked here? This girl was fifteen at most. The one talking to Clint(?) was maybe 17. He hoped they were like Peter who had already been fighting before Tony found him and let him join the Patriots. 

Natasha, seeming to give up on anyone being put together started pointing around the room and rattling off names. “Clint aka Hawkeye aka The Most Annoying Man You Will Ever Meet. Kate aka Hawkeye. Scott aka Antman. Hope aka the Wasp. and Cassie aka Stinger. I’m Natasha also known as the Black Widow. We have more who are out or in other rooms. Any questions?”

Bucky had many but he had a feeling he could only ask one if he wanted to stay on her good side. “Why are there two Hawkeyes?” 

Kate stopped in the middle of a sentence to answer him. “Actually he’s Hawk _guy_ , I’m the real Hawkeye.”

“Nice try Katie-Kate. She took over for me while I was out of service for a bit and she can shoot almost as well as me and likes purple so I let her share the name.” 

So that’s now Hawkeye seemed to be in two places at once, he, or should Bucky say _they_ , were two different people. 

“Nice to meet all of you?” 

***

Bucky had played five games of what definitely wasn’t checkers by the time Clint finished his argument with Kate.He had one precisely zero as the rules kept changing and he kept losing pieces for things like ‘Didn’t give me candy’ or being told he lost a turn for ‘looking for candy to give to Scott, dinner is not that far away’. He was slightly grateful to see Clint’s frame heading his way. 

“Can I get up and talk to Clint?” He made sure to ask Hope because she could give Pepper a run for her money for who was more _terrifying_. When she nodded he got up and smiled at Clint.

“So, you’re the famous Hawkeye.”

“Excuse you, I’m _infamous_.”

“Oh sorry,” Bucky joked, smiling at Clint. “I didn’t realize the ‘verment didn’t love you.”

“It’s an easy thing to forget.” 

“I probably should have realized from the fact you stole a car.”

“A stolen car that helped _you_ escape. What was your plan anyway, hope some random citizen would bring you to your top secret hide out and not just turn you over?”

“I had a plan. It was just… interrupted by unforeseen circumstances.”

“Suuuuure.”

The two of them fell into an easy rhythm, Bucky didn’t realize how long they had been talking until Clint swivelled his head around and, in an adorably delighted voice, said “Pizza!”

“What?”

“Pizza! It’s my favorite food! I need to go get some before the kids steal all of it, Lucky needs some too.”

“Who’s Lucky?”

“My dog! He’s the best boy. I saved him with Pizza and also from the mob!”

That raised more questions but Bucky was hungry and he hadn’t had pizza in forever. “Lead the way to pizza.”

At dinner Clint introduced him to Ned, Pietro, and Wanda who promptly skipped off to who knows where, he would have loved to keep talking to Clint, but his team was probably panicked so with a sigh he asked Clint how he could call Cap. Once _Hawkeye_ was done fanboying over Captain America he got Nat to get Ned to reach out to his contact(?) to secure a line for Bucky to talk to his team for five minutes. 

“I’m okay and safe. I’m at the nest.” He began the call. He could hear a startled ‘What?!’ from Sam in the background before Steve responded. 

“When can you be home Buck?” 

“I can be back tomorrow I promise. I succeeded in the mission _and_ now we might be able to work with strike team delta.”

“Come home safe Buck.”

“Together till the end of the line.” He promised before the line clicked.

“So, that was the legendary Captain America,” Clint somehow had managed to sprawl across the tops of the chairs in the minutes since Bucky had turned his back on him. 

“Yup.” Bucky responded. He wasn’t trying to be curt but he had had a long day and his arm hurt. “Where can I sleep?”

Clint looked slightly sad as he led Bucky to a little bedroom, clearly meant for guests it was impersonal with white sheets and walls and Bucky felt alone as he drifted off to sleep. 

***

At five in the morning Bucky was driven to the meet up spot with Clint and Nat. As Luis drove away and the three of them (or at least the two of them, Bucky was pretty sure that Natasha was something more than a human.) stood blinking against the early rays of the sun, Bucky heard the familiar sound of Tony’s car. 

“That will be Tony then.”

Clint just nodded goodbye as Bucky got into the car, while Nat was exchanging information about things. Apparently Peter knew Ned or something? Bucky just wanted to be back home to switch out his arm. He had put this one on for the mission but it was heavier and when he wore it for long stretches of time (like when he was around people he didn’t know) it started to really hurt him. 

“We have plans to discuss.” Were Tony’s first words to him. “We’re planning a big stand.”


	2. Some backstory on Clint

Before

Before everything happened, before Clint Barton became Hawkeye to all but a small few, before the Nest was set up, before society fell,

Clint Barton lived with his father and older brother at 29 miller drive. His dad came home drunk every night. 

Clint Barton was 9 when society truly fell. 

It had been falling for years, rumors swirling as books were banned. 

Now the rules were set into stone and every street sign.

Break them and you disappeared.

His dad was angry the night Clint lost his hearing. 

Clint Barton ran away to the circus with his brother when he was 9.

The circus had less rules, as long as the money kept flowing.

Clint was given his first bow and taught to shoot

When he was 11 they told him it was time to learn how to steal.

Maybe in some other universe Clint protested and ran, but in this one, where bodies hanging were Examples and the police didn’t serve the people even in name, he didn’t.

Clint Barton learned to pickpocket and steal cars and how to tell someone the sky was green and make them believe it as you took everything they had. 

He could shoot anything you pointed at, and con as good as any of them.

The circus was shut down when he was sixteen.

So he ran.

In this world you either followed the rules or you  _ run-hide-steal-never stop-hide-keep running _ . 

__ Clint has always sucked at following the rules.

He met Nat at seventeen. 

They were both quick and fast, living off their wits and the pies the bakery never stopped leaving on windows. 

She had been a dancer once she told him, the two of them huddling close in the shelter of the night. They couldn’t afford to stay anywhere for long.

When Clint Barton was nineteen he met Scott and Hope. They had a daughter- adopted but that didn't matter now. Not when the few cities that had held out this long were now gone, buried under bombs that fell like rain. 

Cassie was ten and she already knew what to do when she heard a gunshot, already had too many scars. 

They were living in a building, hidden but the owners were cruel. 

Clint gained two friends and a home. 

When he was twenty-two he met two sixteen year olds. 

Wanda and Pietro had seen their parents dead in the bombings. He took them in and gave them as close to a home as he could.

When Clint was twenty-four a man hopped into the front seat of a car he was hotwiring and yelled “Go go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that no one really likes this trash work lol but if you do please leave a comment or kudos

**Author's Note:**

> Please kudos and comment, it's what keeps me writing and schools starting tomorrow so believe me, i'll need some extra willpower


End file.
